Shinedown at Mohegan Sun Arena – March 2, 2019

 

Shinedown

 

Shinedown brought their Attention Attention world tour to Mohegan Sun Arena, in support of their sixth studio album, of the same name. Following great opening performances by Asking Alexandria and Papa Roach, a curtain shrouded the stage, as Shinedown’s crew finished final preparations for their show.

The lights dimmed, as an intro announcement came on that the show was about to begin. Brent Smith, Zach Myers, Eric Bass and Barry Kerch, the musicians who collectively are Shinedown, kick into the into riff of “Devil,” the first hit single off 2018’s Attention Attention. As the intro reaches its climax, the curtain drops as a boom fills the arena, and huge flames cover the stage. We’re only a few seconds in, and Shinedown already has control of the audience.

As the chorus of “Devil” says, it’s about to get heavy. While Shinedown has had their share of hits on the softer side, the first several songs are very fast and heavy. This band is here to kick ass tonight, but there’s something about their performance that is uniquely positive. Singer Brent Smith has a determination to the way he sings, speaks, walks, and even stands, and his positivity radiates to the crowd.

As the set rolls on, you realize you know all of these songs, and that’s because Shinedown has had 13 number one songs on the Billboard charts! Songs like “Diamond Eyes,” “Cut the Cord,” and one of their recent hits, “Get Up” all got great responses from the crowd.

The stage had a catwalk that reached out halfway into the arena floor, and the band members would often find their way down it. About halfway through the show, however, a second drum kit rose up at the end of the catwalk, and the whole band performed from the end of the catwalk. In addition to acoustic guitars, bass player Eric Bass played a piano that had also appeared. They told some deep stories in between these songs, and played some of the softer songs that have been hits, such as “Second Chance” and their cover of Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”

Shinedown showed tonight why they are one of the largest rock bands of the modern generation. Between all of their hit songs, as well as their undeniably powerful performance, theirs is a show not to be missed.

Setlist
Devil
Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
Enemies
Monsters
Black Soul
I’ll Follow You
Unity
Get Up
Bully
Amaryllis
Misfits
How Did You Love
Second Chance
45
Simple Man
—
Cut the Cord
Sound of Madness
Brilliant